According to research data from an education coalition, the number of new international undergraduate students at U.S. universities this spring has decreased by an average of 20% compared to the same period last year. This is the latest indication that the ongoing tension between President Donald Trump and the higher education sector is significantly impacting a critical source of talent and funding.
A report released on Monday by multiple organizations, including the U.S. international education group NAFSA, stated that the study is based on a survey of 149 U.S. institutions. Approximately 62% of these institutions reported a decline in international student enrollment for both undergraduate and graduate programs compared to the spring of 2025.
International students, who typically pay full tuition, serve as a vital revenue stream for universities, a factor that has become increasingly important as institutions face challenges from a declining domestic population. The Trump administration's tightening of foreign student admissions is part of a broader pressure campaign aimed at reshaping higher education and restricting immigration pathways.
Although spring enrollment numbers are generally smaller, trends in this semester are often viewed as a "bellwether" for the larger fall intake period. If international student enrollment for this fall also experiences a decline approaching 20%, some U.S. universities could face significant budget shortfalls.
A turning point for U.S. universities occurred last spring when agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested and detained dozens of foreign students, sometimes on campuses or in dormitories, and revoked the legal status of thousands of students. While most students had their status restored following a series of government legal defeats, the impact of this crackdown has been profound.
Although overall international student enrollment in the U.S. last fall declined by 1.4% year-over-year, most of those students had initiated their application processes before the White House intensified efforts to restrict foreign student admissions. It was not until March that Intercontinental Exchange agents began targeting students for enforcement actions; meanwhile, the U.S. Department of State suspended visa interviews in May—the peak period for student visa processing—in order to implement stricter new screening policies in June.
The survey indicates that 84% of U.S. universities cited "government restrictive policies" as the primary reason for the student decline, with over a third stating this would likely lead to budget cuts. Last summer, the issuance of student visas dropped by 36%.
The survey, conducted by NAFSA in collaboration with several international education organizations, gathered feedback from hundreds of universities worldwide, including those in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom—three major destinations for international students. These countries also reported declines in international student enrollment this spring due to restrictive immigration policies. In contrast, universities in Europe and Asia reported increases in international student enrollment.
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